Coronavirus scare: Thane bans share autos, cabs

The police have also deployed vans mounted with megaphones to inform rickshaw drivers arriving there that they must only take customers by the meter. Thane: In a move aimed at tackling the spread of Covid-19, the Thane Police have cracked down on the use of share rickshaws and cabs plying anywhere within the city until the end of the month.

The order, passed by District Collector Rajesh Narvekar on March 20, states “shared autos, Ola Share, Uber Pool and rural kaali-peeli jeeps and commercial vehicles are to be discontinued with immediate effect until March 31, with the possibility of a further extension.

The roads near the Gaondevi market and the road leading to the station bore a deserted look on Friday, in the absence of the winding queues of share rickshaws at the station. These rickshaws serve thousands of passengers from areas like the Ghodbunder Road, CIDCO, Nitin Company and Pawar Nagar who travel to and from the station.

Mirror spotted Assistant Commissioner of Police Avinash Palwe in his car near Thane station, who stated that the decision was taken in order to prevent the virus spreading.

The police have also deployed vans mounted with megaphones to inform rickshaw drivers arriving there that they must only take customers by the meter. Palwe told Mirror that strict action would be taken against drivers who fail to comply with the order.

The move took passengers by surprise. “I took a share rickshaw from Hiranandani Meadows earlier this morning to come to the station which cost me Rs 25. Now I have to go home by a full rickshaw which will cost me Rs 85,” said an elderly passenger. Another traveller from Ghodbunder Road also bemoaned the move, but said the decision was necessary.

Among the rickshaw drivers present outside the Gaondevi market was Akhilesh Singh, who heads the rickshaw union for the Thane station-Hiranandani Meadows route. “We have over 125 members and we will comply with the police’s directions. It will certainly hit business, but we believe it is a good decision for the community,” he said.

A spokesperson for Ola did not respond at the time of publishing this article. Uber declined to comment.

Three new persons from Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad tested positive on Friday, bringing the total count up to 52 in the state, which continues to be the worst hit in the country. The Thane district administration last week invoked the ‘Disaster Management Act’ to effectively deal with any situation arising out of spread of the novel coronavirus.

“In our efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, we are temporarily suspending the Ola Share category until further notice,” a company spokesperson told Mirror.

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